Apparatus and method for in-situ stabilization of unconsolidated sediment in core samples

• US 10,641,055 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Michael, Nikolaos A., Marhoon, Maher I., Lu, Peng
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Giovanna C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duck, Brandon M
• Application Number:
  US16/532,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20190360290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 273 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 25/08 Coating, freezing, consolidating cores E21B25/06 takes precedence; Recovering uncontaminated cores or cores at formation pressure

Abstract

Apparatus and method for in-situ stabilization of unconsolidated sediment in core samples are disclosed. The core sampling apparatus includes a corer having an inner wall, an outer wall, and a plurality of impregnation tubes disposed between the inner and the outer wall, wherein the impregnation tubes are parallel to a central axis of the corer. The method for sampling a core includes extracting a core sample using a corer, and in-situ stabilizing unconsolidated sediment in the core sample within the corer by impregnating the core sample with a resin. The resin is supplied through a plurality of impregnation tubes disposed between the walls of the corer.

Claims

1. A method for sampling a core, the method comprising:

providing a corer with an outer wall;

providing a plurality of impregnation tubes between an inner wall and the outer wall of the corer, wherein the impregnation tubes are disposed parallel to a central axis of the corer;

extracting a core sample using the corer; and

in-situ stabilizing, within the corer, unconsolidated sediment in the core sample, wherein the step of stabilizing unconsolidated sediment comprises impregnating the core sample with a resin.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

introducing the resin through a plurality of holes formed on an inner wall of the corer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing each of the plurality of impregnation tubes with a plurality of holes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes on the inner wall correspond with the plurality of holes formed on the impregnation tubes.

5. A method for sampling a core, the method comprising:

extracting a core sample using a corer;

in-situ stabilizing, within the corer, unconsolidated sediment in the core sample;

providing a corer cap with a pump connection; and

connecting the pump connection to a vacuum pump for creating a vacuum to ease sampling of the core.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

removing the corer cap after the core sample has been collected; and

connecting a removable resin container to the corer via a ring configured to connect to the removable resin container on top and the corer at the bottom, the ring comprising a plurality of inlets corresponding to the plurality of impregnation tubes in the corer.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

connecting the pump connection to a vacuum pump for facilitating resin impregnation and minimizing undesired air bubbles.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

removing the corer cap after the core sample has been collected; and

connecting a resin gun to the corer via a ring configured to connect to the resin gun on top and the corer at the bottom, the ring comprising a plurality of inlets corresponding to the plurality of impregnation tubes in the corer.